Marxist leader leads Sri Lankan presidential race as Ranil Wickremesinghe is ousted
Mr Wickremesinghe, who took power in July 2022 via a parliamentary vote to cover the remainder of ousted leader Mahinda Rajapaksa ’s five-year term, was eliminated in the first round. The outgoing leader, who led Sri Lanka’s fragile economic recovery from the debilitating crisis of 2022, received just 17 per cent of the votes.